Principal Investigator(s):Bratton, Michael, Michigan State University; Lewis, Peter, American University

Summary:

The Afrobarometer project assesses attitudes toward
democracy, markets, and civil society in several sub-Saharan African
nations. This survey of Nigeria recorded Nigerian citizens' opinions
about social issues and about recent political and economic changes
within their country. Respondents were asked to rate how satisfied
they felt with their lives presently and to give their overall
assessment of the performance of the current government. They also
rated how well the current government was handling problems such as
creating jobs, keeping... (more info)

The Afrobarometer project assesses attitudes toward
democracy, markets, and civil society in several sub-Saharan African
nations. This survey of Nigeria recorded Nigerian citizens' opinions
about social issues and about recent political and economic changes
within their country. Respondents were asked to rate how satisfied
they felt with their lives presently and to give their overall
assessment of the performance of the current government. They also
rated how well the current government was handling problems such as
creating jobs, keeping prices low, narrowing the income gap between
rich and poor, and fighting government corruption. Respondents were
also queried about their interest in politics, how often they
discussed politics with other people, and whether they could name
various government officials. Respondents were asked to rate the
importance of certain aspects of a democracy such as majority rule,
freedom to criticize the government, and regular
elections. Respondents also rated how much they trusted fellow
citizens such as relatives, neighbors, members of their tribe, members
of other tribes, and Nigerian President Obassanjo, as well as how much
they trusted institutions such as traditional rulers, local government
authorities, the police, the courts, and others. They were also asked
to rate how much they trusted social institutions such as churches,
mosques, trade unions, banks, and businesses. Opinions were elicited
on how often Nigerians broke the law by engaging in such acts as
throwing rubbish in public places, disregarding traffic signs and
lights, selling goods without a trader's license, evading income
taxes, not paying for services like piped water, and offering bribes
to public servants. Demographic variables include political party
affiliation, income level, number of children under 18 in household,
gender, age, education, religion, and occupation.